Granby didn’t struggle much against the defensive press all season. The Bears won 17 regular-season games, the NCCC Championship and three straight games in the Division IV state tournament with a balanced offensive attack that consistently found ways to break down opposing defenses.

On Saturday, against New Canaan in the Division IV state championship at Mohegan Sun Arena though, an aggressive Rams halfcourt press forced the Bears to make difficult passes, resulting in 22 turnovers, an inability to establish its offense, and eventually, a 55-39 loss. New Canaan’s championship was its first 1962.

“It wasn’t what we were expecting at all,” Granby senior Peyton Large said. “They had a very good zone press, it was beautiful in my opinion. It forced turnovers, it got us off guard, and we didn’t perform well against it.”

Third-seeded Granby turned the ball over eight times in the third quarter alone, as fourth-seeded New Canaan turned a five-point halftime lead into a 15-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter. The Bears (20-4) scored just twice in the first four and a half minutes of the third quarter, as seven turnovers marred a deliberate Granby offense which kept pace with the Rams (20-4) in the first half.

“I’ve seen them on film, and I didn’t expect that level of intensity in their pressure,” Granby coach Walter Hansen said. “They did a really good job. I need to do a better job of adjusting. We didn’t, and that was a factor in the third quarter.”

The Bears led early, as senior James Shelansky opened the game with five straight points, helping Granby out to an early 9-1 lead. They led 15-9 after the first quarter, as the Rams missed their first four shots out of the gate.

“The 9-1 run gave us energy, and it got ride of the jitters that we had in the beginning,” Shelansky said.

The Rams hit a trio of three-pointers to open the second quarter - two from Ben Sarda, and another from Jack Richardson - to take the lead. Shelansky drilled a three-pointer with 3:50 left in the half to give Granby a 19-18 lead, its last of the game. New Canaan outscored the Bears 37-20 for the remainder of the game.

Aside from the turnover margin, the Bears matched up well with the Rams. They had more rebounds (26 to 25), made just two less three-pointers and blocked six shots to New Canaan’s zero.

“We went up early in the game. I think the second half, we just came out really slow,” Large said. “That press really hurt us. I think we had probably 30 turnovers almost? I think if we didn’t have as many turnovers, we would have been in the game the whole time with them.”

The Bears will graduate Large and Shelansky, two staples of their starting five. Rowan Heinze (team-high 13 points) and Elliyas Delaire, who posted some big games in the tournament for Granby, will both return for their senior seasons, with championship game experience under their belts.

“Having them experience this, they know they want to get here, it trickles down to the young guys,” Hansen said. “As a program it’s what we want to accomplish. They know that getting here is the goal. That’s what we want our program to be - let’s get to the Mohegan Sun Casino, let’s play for a state title. Embrace it, and understand that a lot of teams don’t have a chance to do it. It’s exciting, it’s a privilege.”